Hold You Through The Winter Of A Long Night
by Gitana
Summary: Rory and Dean take a walk in the snow late at night, after which Rory invites Dean to spend the night.


**Hold You Through The Winter Of A Long Night**

**By**: Gitana  
**Pairing**: Rory and Dean  
**Disclaimer**: Everything belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino. *title from Smashing Pumpkin's "Farewell and Goodnight"  
**Timeline**: somewhere after 2.11  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Summary**: Rory and Dean take a walk in the snow late at night. Rory invites Dean to spend the night.

* * *

"Dean, do you remember when we were learning how to dance?"

"Uh, that time we almost gave Miss Patty a heart attack?"

"That time."

"I remember."

"Let's dance, right now."

"No way… Rory, we're in the middle of the street…"

"There's no one around… Please…"

Rory put on her brave face and risked endless mockery, but Dean was too curious, too charmed and too in love.

"Before that…" Rory said extending her right arm, asking Dean to dance. "Before that we did pretty well on our own." Dean smiled and accepted Rory's soft hand. "We danced at the Chilton formal, and if my memory is as right as it is cherished, we weren't bad."

"We weren't bad at all, but then again, I could hardly feel my feet moving," Dean said, wondering how they were going to dance to silence.

"I'm pretty sure I was floating." Rory smiled and bit her lower lip as if she could taste it.

"I'm pretty sure you were perfect," Dean said flashing Rory one of those smiles that made her knees weak even after so many of them.

Dean and Rory stood in front of Doose's Market. Dean's hand holding the tip of Rory's gloved fingers waiting for a song.

It was cold and late. They weren't supposed to be there at all, but there they were. Everything was dark, all the lights were out and everyone was falling asleep. The streets were already covered with white, Rory was shivering a little. She kept warm enough in her peacock blue hoodie sweater, but it was getting pretty chilly. Dean was wearing all black.

"Imagine a song," Rory said.

"You're cold, aren't you?"

"Are _you_ cold?" she said taking his hands between hers.

"I'm fine, but you look cold."

"No! I'm good, we're dancing. Think of something slow, a nice melody. I got it, _Tonight_ from "West Side Story," the duo."

"Alright, let's go."

Rory and Dean got closer. They stared into each other's eyes and started laughing.

"Okay, okay, now… " Dean said, leaving almost no space between him and Rory, which Rory loved.

Dean twirled Rory around and held her tight against his body. Rory's heart started pounding, her mind singing to her what she remembered about _Tonight_ from two nights ago when they last watched the movie. The words were a little fuzzy, the melody was perfect. The snow under their feet traced the steps, leaving a melting map of some crazy whim. They were dancing in circles, perfectly in synch, swaying from side to side, holding each other through the cold, breathing fast to keep up. They were far from graceful. Their steps were short and shaky; it didn't matter. Dean would let go of Rory's hand for a few seconds just to swing her back to him again.

"Oh, we're good! This is good dancing!" Rory smiled, pleased with their efforts.

"I can't believe you talked me into this…" Dean smiled, looking around and wondering if anyone was witnessing this craziness.

"Then you shouldn't let me watch so many musicals," Rory said, softly twisting her body and then turning to face Dean again without going around all the way.

"Rory, you're shivering," Dean said rubbing his hands up and down her waist to keep her warm. Rory finally gave up and tucked herself all the way into Dean's black coat, both of her arms reaching around his back. "Let's go," he said.

"Okay," Rory agreed as she watched her breath leave her mouth and dissolve into air.

"I'll take you home. You're going to get sick out here."

As she tucked her hands under his shirt, feeling his muscles moving as he walked, Rory remembered why she loved this guy so much. Rory thought Dean was the most beautiful boy she ever saw. She'd spend hours looking at him, not believing her luck. He made her heart beat real fast, he knew her inside and out but still found her loveable. He did his things and let her do hers. He even did them with her if she asked. She wanted to make him happy. Since they first met, she has fallen in love with him two or three times a month.

It started snowing again as they reached the Gilmore house. It was dark. A mild breeze was whistling through the trees, moving the branches from side to side shaking the snow loose all over the ground. Dean and Rory quietly stepped on the porch to shield themselves from the beautiful and severe weather.

Dean looked down at Rory, "Go in before your mom wakes up. I'll see you tomorrow."

Rory didn't want him to go. She knew he couldn't stay, but she didn't want him to go back to his house alone in that kind of weather. She felt so guilty she had called him so late. Worried that her lips would be frozen and gross, she grabbed Dean's face to kiss him. Rory nibbled, searching for warm places inside his mouth. She wanted him like never before.

She chased him down to the front porch swing that Lorelai had recently bought. Everyone loved it. It was woody and white, comfortable and big enough for two, even three.

Rory climbed on top of Dean, fighting the thickness of their winter clothes. Dean tried to keep his hands to her neck and waist; Rory remembere to be careful. "Stay..." she was able to whisper into his mouth. Resigned, Dean recognized it was his turn to halt the festivities tonight. They had an unspoken agreement that one of them would sober up before something serious happened.

Dean grabbed Rory's face, kissed her hard, and looked soulfully into her eyes, "I'd love to, but I can't," he said. Her mouth squeezed into a cute pout. She slid back and got up. She walked him outside holding on to his hand as the snow fell on their hair and melted soon after.

Standing on the soft melting snow, Dean and Rory reluctantly said goodbye for the night.

"One of these days, Rory," he said. He kissed her forehead before turning around and walking to his house, alone. Rory waved at him and he gave her a dimpled smile in return.

Watching through the upstairs window, Lorelai saw how Rory's body language exposed her intention. She worried Rory would win. But a few seconds later she was psychically thanking Dean for walking away from his very pretty girlfriend who wanted to cuddle next to him on a cold, endless night. Lorelai smiled to herself, she wouldn't have let Chris walk out on her. She would've made him stay, not a care in the world. But it's so different when it's your kid; Lorelai was happy that Rory would spend the rest of the night alone and a little sad.

Lorelai remembers what it's like to be sixteen - how different the world is through teenage eyes. How innocent everything starts, how beautiful being in love is, and how much it hurts that in a moment such as the one Dean and Rory were sharing, one of you has to simply walk away.

Dean walked home. He thought about going back to her, but he knew he had done the right thing. He could now see the front door of his house. The rational side had succeeded for one more night. He smiled at its narrow victory and kept walking, wondering if his parents were waiting for him amidst the tranquility of late night chocolate milk.

"_One of these days…"_ Dean's words echoed in Rory's head, thinking about what it could mean, alone in her room, with all the windows and doors locked and a collection of covers curved into her body shape keeping her from the cold. No matter what happens, who happens, when it happens, she had a pang in her heart that it would be Dean. She wouldn't be happy with anyone else being the first one. It has to be him - his eyes, his hands, his mouth, everything. Rory fell asleep with a hint of a smile on her lips.

One of those days, it would be him.

**The End**


End file.
